Microsoft sued over alleged Xbox 360 glitch

[RealitY]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Chicago man who bought Microsoft Corp.'s new Xbox 360 has sued the world's largest software maker, saying the new video game console has a design flaw that causes it to overheat and freeze up.

The proposed class action claims that in Microsoft's bid to gain share in the $25 billion global video game market, the company was so intent on releasing the Xbox 360 before competing next-generation machines from Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/finance/nm/tc_nm/storytext/media_xbox_dc/17296900/*http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=sne&d=t) - news (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/biz/nm/tc_nm/storytext/media_xbox_dc/17296900/*http://biz.yahoo.com/n/s/sne.html)). and Nintendo Co Ltd. that it sold a "defectively designed" product.

Robert Byers, who brought the suit, said the power supply and central processing unit in the Xbox 360 overheat, affecting heat-sensitive chips and causing the console to lock up.
Microsoft spokeswoman Molly O'Donnell on Monday said the company does not comment on pending litigation.

Complaints about the problem surfaced quickly on gaming enthusiast Web sites after the Xbox 360 debuted on November 22.
Console owners reported that some systems had crashed during regular use as well as during online game play using the Xbox Live service. Problems included screens going black and the appearance of a variety of error messages.

At the time O'Donnell told Reuters: "We have received a few isolated reports of consoles not working as expected."
She declined to say how many reports Microsoft had received and said that calls reporting the issue to the company represented a "very, very small fraction" of units sold.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday in federal court in Illinois, seeks unspecified damages and litigation-related expenses, as well as the replacement or recall of Xbox 360 game consoles.

:source: Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051205/tc_nm/media_xbox_dc

[Yoga]

For microsoft to ship a nondefective vista, we're going to have to wait till the next century.

[Darth Sushi]

This is why my favorite computer oxymoron phrase is: "Microsoft Works" :P

[silent h3ro]

This is why my favorite computer oxymoron phrase is: "Microsoft Works" :P:lol:

[SeK612]

It does tend to be the case that consoles have problems when released.

For example people have recounted the first batch of PS2's used to cannon disks across the room after you'd hit the eject button (there was a delay and then the disc and disk drive were shoved out of the console at high speed sending them flying across the room :rolleyes:).

As I understand it MS have offered to replace faulty machines and problems have only been reported in a small numbers :happy:

[Derlei23]

The old Xbox had the same problem, but as far is I've read it should only be a small number of the new Xbox 360 that should have the problem, due to a bad chip there over heat. But I guess we know more in the comming weeks where people will received it. Can't wait till I receive mine *Grins*

[Rip The Jacker]

Wait so why is he sueing? His Xbox360 overheats and freezes... but why is that something to sue MS over? I don't get it...

[Storm]

if he wins this would be a BIG problem for microsoft......... think about what would happen if everybody microsoft sold a defective product to would sue them........... then microsoft couldnt sell ANYTHING anymore o_O

[Desu]

Wait so why is he sueing? His Xbox360 overheats and freezes... but why is that something to sue MS over? I don't get it...


probly the combination of paying 3 or 4 hundred bucks for something that doesnt work for shit and a combination of already disliking MS. :)